The present invention is concerned with crew member survivability in a disabled aircraft. Usually when an aircraft is disabled, the crew member or crew members are ejected therefrom by some type of an escape system. One type uses a catapult to boost the seat mechanism through the canopy on a rail; and as the seat mechanism clears the rail, a sustainer rocket is ignited and lifts the crew member or members to a safe height clear of the aircraft, at which time a parachute is deployed to lower the crew member or members safely to the ground.
One shortcoming of such a system is that if the aircraft pitches or rolls to such a point that the crew member will be projected toward the ground upon ejection, instead of enhancing survivability, the odds are that the crew member or members will be severely injured, if not killed.